1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is directed to a fabrication process of a structural component. More particularly, the present disclosure is related to a fabrication process for a structural component to be used with high strength structural applications. Even more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a fabrication process for a structural component that results in a component having a homogeneous nano/sub-micron grain structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
High strength engineering components are known in the art. Plastic deformation has been used in the art to structurally alter and to enhance one or more physical properties of a work piece component for different metallic materials. One such known method entails using a die having a movable surface in a deformation channel of the die. The movable surface moves with a work piece material during a deformation process in the deformation channel. The billets have selected desired characteristics resulting from the deformation processing such as an improved strength and ductility. However, construction using such billets is expensive, due in part, because the billets or desired structural components can be formed only by using a very complex and cumbersome die structure. The complex die structure and components are expensive to use and make. They require additional expenses not only to form the die, but also to operate, and service the die for manufacturing a number of structural components or billets.
Moreover, such known dies have a detrimental operation and have die components that only minimize friction in one general direction or on the face of the work piece material. Such dies minimize friction in only a complementary location where a sliding die component moves. Such a reduction in friction may only provide a limited structural enhancement depending on the application. The friction on another side of the work piece material is relatively greater between the die component and the structural work piece component. This results in non-homogenous sized grains in the resulting structural component. This non-homogenous condition due to the increased friction on the one side relates to poor mechanical properties. This may lead to one or more unintended detriments depending on the structural application.
Thus, a need exists to develop a fabrication method which includes improved process steps that do not require an expensive die or die components to conduct the plastic deformation process. In addition, a need exists to develop a fabrication process that provides a homogenous sub-micron grain size across the cross section of the work piece component.